Students at Bryant University form new Catholic group in spirit of the late pope

RC consecrated woman Nicole Stone reads from scripture during Mass

By Laura Kuhlman

Smithfield, Rhode Island
-- Take a left out of Austin Avenue onto US-44,
a left onto Route 116 and a slight right onto
Douglas Pike, and you’ll find yourself at Bryant University where
the integration of business and liberal arts is the hallmark
of this New England college. Besides the “integrative curriculum,” there
is something else going on at Bryant on Sunday nights
at 7:00 pm. A newly formed student group is sowing
seeds for the New Evangelization called for by Pope John
Paul II.

“This year, with university chaplain
Fr. Robert Marciano, we came up with the idea to
form a Catholic community so that the Bryant students who
come to Mass on Sunday nights can foster their friendships
and find support in living out their faith,” said Regnum
Christi consecrated woman Nicole Stone.Nicole and two
more consecrated women, Jennifer Ristine and Andrea Morera, work with
Fr. Robert in the campus ministry program at Bryant.

“It’s all about building community—finding good friends who
share the faith—because without this, it’s really difficult to persevere
in the faith, especially in college,” said Nicole.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the student
group decided to call itself “The John Paul II Catholic
Community” because the

JPII student group at Mass on campus

idea was born just a few weeks
before the anniversary of his papal election.

“What made the name even more meaningful was the fact
that in the inaugural Mass for the community, Fr. Marciano
used a chalice that was once used by Pope John
Paul II in one of his Masses,” said Nicole. “After
the inaugural Mass, which took place during parents’ weekend at
Bryant, we held a reception, and fifty students stuck around
to hear about the project.”

So far,
the activities of the JPII Catholic Community have included a
kick-off ice cream social, the creation of a pastoral council,
Advent and Lenten penance services and a “Living Lent” Bible
study.

Nicole said 30 students came to the first
Living Lent session.“We studied and prayed with
the Scriptures through Lectio Divina,” she said. “I think this
shows that students are really interested in learning about their
faith and doing so with others.”